June stake camps part 1 - Canyon View Stake MTC (Missionary Training Camp)

Our stake has held occasional stake camps for young men, often with a Scouting or Duty to God emphasis. We scheduled one for this year (June 4-6), and as I worked with the stake Young Men leaders, we felt impressed to focus on missionary preparation. So the idea of the MTC (Missionary Training Camp) was born.

We chose a location we've used before, at Millsite State Park near Ferron in central Utah, about 2 1/2 hours from home. It's a little far for a short event like this, but the setting is wonderful and gave us privacy. Click the image below for a larger composite panorama view of this wonderful location:


There was some tremendous planning that went into this event, with about 140 young men (from 12 to 18) eventually participating. It was an interesting feeling, to see them all in a remote campground like this, dressed in a white shirt and tie! These first photos were taken by my friend Glen Mella, the wonderful bishop of the young single adult ward in our stake:



So why does that guy who is speaking keep waving his right hand???

At the opening fireside late Thursday afternoon, each boy was given a letter "calling" him to one of 8 missions (led by 8 of the bishops in our stake). They were assigned a companion who was generally not their age and not in their ward. They spent most of the next 24 hours (except for sleeping time) with their companion and mission, not with their wards. For some, it was a push out of their "comfort zone" but with very few exceptions, turned out to be a great part of the learning experience. All this was intended to give them a glimpse of what the mission experience will be — we talked about companion relationships and supporting each other as you serve and learn.

We kept them pretty busy for that day. We had a variety of fun, competitive activities intermixed with study, learning, practicing, and actually teaching a missionary discussion to some "investigators." Even the activities simulated mission experiences and taught principles: how to sew on a button, wash and iron clothes, do laundry, ride bikes, etc. Here are some sample photos I took of the events:



After dinner on Friday, we had a concluding fireside where they were "released" from their assignments. Then they returned to their ward encampments for an evening campfire and testimony meeting. There were wonderful reports of the lessons learned, spirit that was felt, and resolve to prepare better.